animalsNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94animalsSun, 20 Nov 2016 08:37:41 +0000animalshttp://iowapublicradio.org
It was just a few weeks ago that the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines facilitated the birth of a rare baby black rhino, and now the zoo says one of their four giraffes is pregnant. In this River to River interview, host Ben Kieffer talks with caretakers, veterinarian Dr. June Olds and large mammal supervisor Lou Keeley, about reticulated giraffe Uzuri's pregnancy and what they are planning for with the birth. "When a giraffe gives birth, she'll give birth standing up," he says. "So you can imagine, that's a pretty large fall for that calf once it drops out; that's six feet. So, we want to make sure she's giving birth on a very soft substrate, a heavy bed, so that the calf has a nice comfortable landing when she comes into this world." Keeley estimates that Uzuri will give birth in mid-December of this year. Weeks After Birth of Rare Black Rhino, Blank Park Zoo Giraffe is Expectinghttp://iowapublicradio.org/post/weeks-after-birth-rare-black-rhino-blank-park-zoo-giraffe-expecting
82651 as http://iowapublicradio.orgFri, 18 Nov 2016 21:58:09 +0000Weeks After Birth of Rare Black Rhino, Blank Park Zoo Giraffe is Expecting They rule the internet. They rule the alleyways. For many pet owners, they rule the house. With 74 to 90 million pet cats in the United States, they have become one of the most popular pets in human history. Yet many owners would be surprised how few practical benefits they provide. “All of us who have cats have seen what amazing hunters they are,” says Abigail Tucker, a correspondent for Smithsonian Magazine and author of The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World. “But the idea that cats can make any kind of dent in a vermin population, such as house mice or street rats, is a little misguided.” “It’s one of these little things in our society where we make up reasons of why we keep these animals around, even though we have no idea why we keep them around,” says Tucker. So why have humans taken such a liking to cats? “Cats have this very specific set of facial features: big eyes in the middle of the face, small noses, round faces; these are whatWho Runs the World? Cats! http://iowapublicradio.org/post/who-runs-world-cats
82597 as http://iowapublicradio.orgThu, 17 Nov 2016 19:23:56 +0000Who Runs the World? Cats! A persistent pooch named Sissy snuck out of her Cedar Rapids home on Friday morning, in a quest to find her owner. Cedar Rapids Dog Finds Owner at Hospitalhttp://iowapublicradio.org/post/cedar-rapids-dog-finds-owner-hospital
53216 as http://iowapublicradio.orgMon, 09 Feb 2015 21:20:56 +0000Cedar Rapids Dog Finds Owner at HospitalMany Iowans find the common pigeon, or rock dove, a pest and call them "winged rats." However, this bird's brain is deceptively clever. Ed Wasserman runs the Comparative Cognition Laboratory at the University of Iowa. Wasserman is world renowned for his work in animal intelligence, including proving that pigeons recognize individual human faces. Wasserman believes memory and learning maintain certain universal laws across species. Currently the researcher is teaching pigeons a lexigram in hopes of shining light on reading and language disabilities in humans. "Categorization is essential," says Wasserman. He theorizes that part of learning is discarding incorrect information, and that an inability to cull could lead to issues in speech, reading or spelling. For example, a first grader misspells the word "yellow" with only one "L." After being told that the correct spelling requires a second "L," their brain removes the incorrect spelling from memory. However, if the child chronicallyThe Brilliance of Winged Ratshttp://iowapublicradio.org/post/brilliance-winged-rats
37112 as http://iowapublicradio.orgWed, 05 Mar 2014 21:19:33 +0000The Brilliance of Winged RatsIn this News Buzz show we talk with state maintenance engineer for the Iowa DOT Bob Younie about the winter driving conditions for today and the weekend, State Certified Sign Language Interpreter Lindsey Kang about what makes for good sign language, Captain Jim Steffen from the Iowa City Police Department about protecting police dogs, Dennis Lee and Daren Schumaker from Team 99 Counties, and The Des Moines Register's Kyle Munson about his coverage of odd stories about animals this year. Icy Roads, Bad Signing, Dogs, Odd Animals, and 99 Marathonshttp://iowapublicradio.org/post/icy-roads-bad-signing-dogs-odd-animals-and-99-marathons
33832 as http://iowapublicradio.orgFri, 20 Dec 2013 19:34:39 +0000Icy Roads, Bad Signing, Dogs, Odd Animals, and 99 MarathonsHost Charity Nebbe speaks with Peter Trachtenberg, who is teaching this summer at the University of Iowa, about his latest book, Another Insane Devotion: On the Love of Cats and Persons. It explores the fierce and tender bonds of love between people and cats. Also, we get an update on this summer’s kitten explosion in Iowa, from the directors of two Iowa animal shelters. The Feline-Human Connectionhttp://iowapublicradio.org/post/feline-human-connection
24073 as http://iowapublicradio.orgTue, 16 Jul 2013 16:55:59 +0000The Feline-Human ConnectionA business in Sigourney Iowa could be one of the first the nation to slaughter horses after a previous ban was allowed to expire. Join Host Ben Kieffer to hear from the CEO of the company given approval by the USDA, and hear from two people with opposing views on the matter. Also hear a little about the politics of this issue and the horse-meat labeling scandal that came to light earlier this year in Europe. Horse Slaughter in Iowahttp://iowapublicradio.org/post/horse-slaughter-iowa
23680 as http://iowapublicradio.orgTue, 09 Jul 2013 18:33:24 +0000Horse Slaughter in IowaLast summer many wild animals suffered because of a lack of water, this year nests have been washed out and wild babies have been separated from their mothers through floods and storms. Host Charity Nebbe talks with wildlife biologist Jim Pease about how natural disasters affect the boom and bust cycles of Iowa's wildlife populations. Wildlife Day: Natural Disaster and Baby Animals http://iowapublicradio.org/post/wildlife-day-natural-disaster-and-baby-animals
22247 as http://iowapublicradio.orgTue, 11 Jun 2013 16:38:35 +0000Wildlife Day: Natural Disaster and Baby Animals Charity NebbeHave you ever been snuggled up with a kid, reading a cute book and run across a glaring factual error? It was just that experience that inspired two moms to create scientifically accurate books for kids. Charity Nebbe talks with the women behind the “Budding Biologist” series, and about fact checking books for kids. Budding Biologist: Science Books For Kidshttp://iowapublicradio.org/post/budding-biologist-science-books-kids
13069 as http://iowapublicradio.orgWed, 09 Jan 2013 17:27:01 +0000Budding Biologist: Science Books For KidsBen KiefferThis hour on River to River, we get an update on the Iowa City Landfill fire which currently covers 7 acres of land and is producing a toxic, tar-like liquid that is highly flammable. In the second half of the hour, well talk about the record number of animals in the care of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa and what can be done about the problem. Iowa City Landfill Fire Update and Homeless Animalshttp://iowapublicradio.org/post/iowa-city-landfill-fire-update-and-homeless-animals
2845 as http://iowapublicradio.orgThu, 07 Jun 2012 18:23:54 +0000Iowa City Landfill Fire Update and Homeless Animals